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Pacifica rent control Measure C fails to pass

by Lynda Carson (tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com)
Measure C, the rent stabilization and just cause eviction protections measure failed to pass in Pacifica after the realtors, landlords, and California Apartment Association spent a fortune to frighten the public with false horror stories, about the much needed renter protections!
Pacifica rent control Measure C fails to pass

By Lynda Carson - November 8, 2017

On November 7, 2017, the greedy landlords, realtors and notorious members of the California Apartment Association defeated a renter protection measure needed to stabilize the communities in Pacifica.

Measure C, the rent stabilization and just cause eviction protections measure failed to pass in Pacifica after the realtors, landlords, and California Apartment Association spent a fortune to frighten the public with false horror stories, about the much needed renter protections.

With 23,963 registered voters in Pacifica and 8,283 ballots cast, Measure C failed to pass, with 37.97% of the votes for Measure C, and 62.03% votes against Measure C.

Battle Over Renter Protections In Pacifica

At an April 10, Pacifica City Council meeting regarding a proposal for renter protections, Bridget Duffy of Pacifica, “stated that she read an inflammatory letter and she felt much of it was not true. She stated that many of the people in the room against rent control were not from Pacifica. She stated that when the Beach Coalition lady stepped down there was a smattering of applause but most true Pacificans love their beach and their Beach Coalition. She stated that having the real estate industry show up and be against rent control was like having the defense industry be against peace. She stated that these are the profiteers. She was glad this was recorded because they were profiting on our lives, and working people who failed to get enough to buy something were inherently undeserving of a stable life. She felt stabilizing housing was only going to benefit our community economically in every way. She stated that we have lost good families in Pacifica to this rent siege we have been under and she felt this was a humanitarian crisis, mentioning vacant trailers where people were evicted and these people were the residents.”

Chris Logan, Pacifica, “stated he loves living in Pacifica. He stated that he was a renter and had renter’s rights. He stated that he had a right to work two jobs in order to make sure he paid his rent, right to save money, to not spend money frivolously, go to school, talk to his landlord as he traded services for keeping his rent lower and the right to move to a crappy area. He did not have a constitutional right to live where he wants to live, stating that he can’t afford to live in France but he can afford to live in Pacifica and had a right to have a roommate to afford the rent. He didn’t think these rights have been addressed. He stated his friend couldn’t come and she wanted him to say she was opposed to rent control. She thought it doesn’t need control.”

Carolyn Jaramillo, Pacifica, “stated she has lived in Pacifica for 30 years and was a local constituent. She believes housing was a human right. She was speaking for the proposed ordinance, which means landlords must have a just reason to evict a tenant and ensures that landlords cannot evict a renter as they can now to raise the rent. She mentioned some of reasons allowable to evict that are guaranteed under the Ellis Act. She stated that only renters covered by the proposed rent stabilization ordinance would be covered by the just cause provision. She stated that opponents of this ordinance were spending a great deal of money to claim that the laws destroy local communities and make it impossible to get rid of bad tenants who harass neighbors and commit crimes but this only engenders fear and hatred in our community and our community is destroyed by well funded outsiders who were only interested in preserving their predatory practices of raising rents as high as they want. She applauded their goals of connected, healthy and compassionate community, adding that to achieve them, they must protect renters with an interim ordinance.”

Roy Stotts, Pacifica, “stated that he and his wife have lived in Pacifica for over 40 years and invested here. They turned individual properties and turned them into two apartment buildings and it was their retirement, otherwise he was reduced to social security and that pays little. He stated that they had the misfortune of experiencing rent control in San Francisco when they bought property in 1978 and in 1979 they were lied to. They were planning to turn it around in five years but it took them 25 years. He stated that the rents went up. He stated that many of the adjacent properties were bought by corporations and they will end up with a Kimco like company that have the deep pockets to wait this out. He asked them to look at Massachusetts which outlawed rent control for every city and they have one of the lowest rates for rent in the entire northeastern seaboard.”

Public records reveal that landlord Roy Stotts of Pacifica, contributed at least $6,000 to defeat the reasonable renter protections that people were trying to pass in Pacifica, and that Stotts owns a number of properties in Pacifica.

California Apartment Association Meddles In The Affairs Of Pacifica

It was during May of 2017, that the California Apartment Association (CAA) meddled in the affairs of Pacifica with a petition that prevented a temporary rent control measure from going into effect.

Pacifica Coalition for Housing Equality, No On C, Sponsored By San Mateo County Association of Realtors, With Major Funding By National Association of Realtors.

The no on Measure C campaign, is known as the Pacifica Coalition for Housing Equality, sponsored by the San Mateo County Association of Realtors (SAMCAR), with major funding from the National Association of Realtors.

In June of 2017, the National Association of Realtors had $516,100 in their account.

As of September 30, 2017, the California Apartment Association-Political Action Committee had $1,314,840 in its account.

During June of 2017, the California Apartment Association - Independent Expenditure Committee, had $356,010 in its account.

And during June of 2017, the California Apartment Association - Issues Committee, had $29,321 in its account.

It was on May 5, 2017, that the The California Apartment Association (CAA), announced that it is suspending its legal challenges in court against the City of Richmond and Mountain View, and the renter protection ordinances known as Measure L and Measure V, that were passed into law by the voters during November 2016.

As recent as November 6, 2017, after meddling in the affairs of the City of Anaheim, the CAA was bragging on its website that it sabotaged any efforts to have rent control in that city.

A statewide ballot initiative was reportedly filed on Monday, October 23, 2017, which seeks to repeal the dreaded Costa-Hawkins Rental Act. Supporters of the initiative to repeal the draconian Costa-Hawkins Rental Act must gather 366,000 valid signatures no later than June, 28, 2018, for the anti-eviction measure to qualify for the ballot in November 2018.

Lynda Carson may be reached at tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com

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Comments (Hide Comments)
by Warren Morrison
Market forces are the only intelligent control on rents. It's called supply and demand. A landlord cannot charge whatever he wants for rent. He can only charge what the market will bear. Many times a landlord cannot charge a high enough rent to cover his expenses.

Measure C was an unworkable, unfair bad law.
by Dave (Pacifica native)
Rent control would have been a disaster for property owners and renters alike. Rental inventory would have been reduced. Quite possibly some apartment buildings would have undergone condo conversions, which would have greatly reduced available rentals.
Pacificans have shot down every development idea. Mori's Point and the old quarry would both have a lot of rental stock but anti-everything Pacifica kept development from happening. And now the same people are whining about high rents. It's supply and demand folks. You prevented the supply from increasing so don't complain about the consequences of your actions.
Boot out your nitwit council members and planning commission members and get some people in there who can intelligently manage growth.
by D. Preston
I am none of your "Accused" . I am a homeowner who worked hard to become one. I should not be responsible for ensuring that you can afford to rent in my hometown when I wouldn't be able to do so myself?
The corporate greed which created this situation affects me and every other homeowner in town in ways renters cannot know. Our property taxes have nearly doubled in less than twenty years and every dime is due to "Fees" imposed by the city. These fees are the way Pacifica makes up for the "Shortfalls" guaranteed by this type of poorly thought out proposal!
by Concerned citizen
Corporate and landowner greed won the day over working persons who can't afford a home in CA. The campaign against Measure C was dishonest, sad and filled with the usual corporate dirty tricks such as calling it a "tax," and paying people to picket against it.

The market, left alone, is not housing people. It's creating thousands of new homeless, and forcing working people to move farther and farther away from their jobs in Oakland, SF, and the surrounding area. And there would be no market for some people to get rich off of without government, and, in these times, it is obvious that the government needs to take on a much greater role in regulating the market with its rampant cronyism, fraud and greed that puts money and profits before people, including families and children.

To those who worked against Measure C, shame on you for your greed, ignorance and the disinformation that you spread to voters. Regardless of your evil efforts, (and yes, if you were knowingly opposing Measure C, you were championing evil) there is a wave of real progressivism that is forming and spreading. Across the country, many SOCIALISTS won local office this week, and that trend is in its infancy.
by Pacifica Lover
" Our property taxes have nearly doubled in less than twenty years"
LOL, try having your *ENTIRE RENT* doubled in 30 days! Give me a break.

Many, many thousands have lost their homes, families, schools, etc. because of lack of rent control. Rents STILL get raised with rent control- they are just capped from insane hikes. Thus, your property tax increase is usually paid for by the renter over those 20 years...

Sad this didn't pass. I will support another measure anytime, any day. Pacifica needs rent control, badly. It is a beautiful place and its residents deserve better.
Apartment associations and realtor associations are the enemies of renters

By Lynda Carson -- Friday Nov 10th, 2017

Click below for full story…

https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2017/11/10/18804438.php

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Here's your "market forces" in action Warren Morrison. Is this what you support, the elderly being evicted from their long-time homes for the sake of new condo development? Is this what you want for Pacifica? Shame on you. http://www.krdo.com/news/top-stories/seniors-at-apartment-complex-in-colorado-springs-get-evicted/654335614
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